Radio-frequency (RF) antennas used in electrical meters often suffer from performance issues due to the proximity of the antenna to the electrical components of the meter and also due to the size of the meter body, which blinds the field of vision of the antenna. Printed circuit boards, often circular, are located just beneath the face of the meter, adjacent the antenna. The traces and electrical components of the printed circuit board may couple with portions of the antenna, affecting the operating characteristics of the antenna, including peak gain and efficiency. Antenna performance is also degraded considerably by the presence of the current transformers, complex electrical wiring, capacitors, inductors and varistors within the meter's body, which are in close proximity to the antenna.
There have been antennas designed on the dual dipole concept before. However, known dual-dipole antenna designs are still susceptible to interference from the printed circuit boards of the meter. Unacceptable peak gains caused by the interference of the printed circuit board may be reduced, but only at the expense of overall efficiency. This problem is especially true for meters utilizing conformal antennas located adjacent circular printed circuit boards.